HC Deb 27 February 1997 vol 291 cc384-5W
Dr. Strang

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many laboratory reports of salmonella in foodstuffs were provided to the public health laboratory service in England and Wales in each year since the introduction of the new reporting system; what is the number to date in 1997; and if he will make a statement. [17653]

Mr. Horam

The figures are given in the following table.

Salmonella
England and Wales annual totals—human food isolates
Year Total
1991 1,937
1992 1,098
1993 859
1994 2,076
1995 981
1996 1,002
19971 69

Source:

Public Health Laboratory Service—Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens.

Notes:

1 Up to 21 February.

1. Salmonella figures encompass the identification of salmonellas from samples taken by environmental health officers as part of their routine inspection and sampling procedures and salmonellas found in foodstuffs sampled in structured food surveys and also salmonellas identified in foodstuffs investigated following an outbreak of clinical illness.

2. The new reporting system was introduced in January 1992 when data from the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre and the Central Public Health Laboratory were combined to produce the PHLS Salmonella Common Data Set and also when the new outbreak reporting system for gastro-intestinal disease commenced. Neither of these could have changed practices in relation to laboratory reports on Salmonella in foodstuffs.

3. The figures cover isolates referred to the Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens by both PHLS and non-PHLS laboratories for confirmation and typing.

Dr. Strang

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many laboratory reports of(a) E. coli and (b) listeria in foodstuffs were provided to the public health laboratory service in England and Wales in each year since 1979. [17654]

Mr. Horam

The figures are given in the following table:

Listeria monocytogenes and escherichia coli 0157 England and Wales annual totals Human food isolates
Year Listeria monocytogenes1 VT producing E. coli 0157
1979 0
1980 0
1981 0
1982 0
1983 0
1984 0
1985 0
1986 2
1987 473
1988 639
1989 1,405
1990 1,193
1991 1,621 0
1992 445 13
1993 467 8
1994 507 18
1995 350 13
1996 349 78
19972 3 0

Source:

Public Health Laboratory Service.

Notes:

1 Figures include isolates referred to the PHLS by non-PHLS laboratories.

2 Figures on Listeria monocytogenes are up to 24 February, figures on Verocytotoxin-producing E. coli 0157 are up to 21 February.

1. Surveys of cheeses and pate were undertaken in the late 1980s and early 1990s to assess the problems of contamination and have been repeated in more recent years to assess the improvements in the microbiological quality of such foodstuffs.

2. The first human isolation of E. coli 0157 in England and Wales was made in 1982 and no food isolation was made by the PHLS until 1992.